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Nupraptor
Nupraptor or Nupraptor the Mentalist was a major character in ''Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain''. He was the Human Guardian of Mind in the Blood Omen era who; discovering the body of his lover, Balance Guardian Ariel; descended into a madness which caused the corruption of the pillars. In his quest to hunt down the corrupted Guardians, Kain hunted Nupraptor first (as the source of the corruption). Kain caught up with Nupraptor in his retreat and beheaded him and returning Nupraptor's Head to the Pillars, Kain was able to temporarily restore the Pillar of Mind. Biography Pre-Blood Omen era Nupraptor was born to serve the Pillars as Guardian of the Mind at some point in the centuries following the Sarafan era and, along with the immortality gifted to him by his role, Nupraptor's position also allowed him power over "mental and psychic abilities", making him "hypersensitive to people's emotions and thoughts"* and over-exposure to these had made him somewhat "unpredictable and illogical", though he was fiercely loyal to those he cared about. His well-known psychic powers made him a popular figure with pilgrims, who travelled from far and wide to seek his wisdom from his impressive retreat overlooking the town of Vasserbunde (which apparently catered for many of the pilgrims). The Pillar Token gifted to him was his enlarged cranium, represented as Nupraptor's Head. At some point, Nupraptor became romantically involved with fellow guardian Ariel (Guardain of Balance) and the two embarked on a controversal relationship, of which other guardians may have disapproved*. The Cult of Hash'ak'gik seducing the Circle of Guardians behind the scenes, led to the Dark Entity being able to possess Death Guardian Mortanius and he was able to use the Necromancer's body to murder Ariel. Nupraptor was first to discover Ariel's corpse and suspecting the involvement of a 'traitor' guardian, Nupraptor decended into a grief-fuelled madness, which led him to turning his phenomenal psychic powers against the pillars and the guardians themselves - setting off the Corruption of the Pillars. For the next thirty years, Nupraptor would continue in anguish at his bereavement. He would withdraw completely to his retreat and sew his eyes and mouth shut "to deny the outside world"*, Pilgrims that still travelled to the retreat were seldom seen again and many were apparently tortured by the Mentalist. Blood Omen era When Kain returned from apparent death as a Vampire, Ariel directed him on a quest to 'restore balance' by killing each of the corrupted guardians and returning their Pillar Tokens; thus restoring each pillar in turn. Ariel made sure that Nupraptor (as the source of the Corruption) was Kain's first target and Kain travelled North to Vasserbunde and Nupraptor's Retreat. When Kain arrived in Nupraptor's Retreat, he found the stronghold largely abandoned and covered in Blood (suggesting the fates of many of the pilgrims that had visited). Ascending to the top of the retreat (the 'mind' of the skull-shaped stronghold), Kain confronted Nupraptor, but found Malek the Paladin (Conflict Guardian and protector of the circle), waiting to defend the Mentalist. Nupraptor (possibly angry at Malek's lack of protection for Ariel) dismissed the Paladin and fought Kain alone, using his powers of telekinesis, teleportation and illusion to battle Kain whilst he remained seated. (see Nupraptor (boss)). Once Kain was able to approach Nupraptor, he beheaded him, killing the mentalist and recovering his particularly gruesome pillar token; Nupraptor's head; and returning it to the Pillars, he was able to temporarily restore the Pillar of the Mind. Kain would continue with his quest, but only at it's climax would he learn that he too (as successor to Balance Guardian Ariel ) had been tainted by Nupraptor's Corruption. Notes Nupraptor is described as a Mentalist; a stage performer who appears to demonstrate several apparently psychic abilities; in the real world mentalists were little more than stage conjourers. Nupraptor's age is not conclusively discussed in the series, but since we know that a Mind Guardian was killed by Vorador in the Sarafan era, Nupraptor cannot be older than 500 years at the time of the events of Blood Omen ''(It is not clear if Nupraptor was born as a direct successor to this guardian, or years later after the death of another). Though the Corruption of the Pillars has much to do with the mental state of the Guardians themselves, the corruption was not caused (per se) by Nupraptor's descent into madness; instead the psychic attack on the circle was intentional; as the only method Nupraptor had to strike the circle's 'traitor' Mortanius.* Nupraptor does not directly appear in further titles; though his role as the source of the Corruption of the Pillars (whose effects Kain would still suffer until the climax of [[Defiance|''Defiance]]) looms large later in the series: *Nupraptor is mentioned twice in ''Soul Reaver 2'', first in ''Chapter 4:The Corruption of the Pillars'', as Raziel (and Kain for a second time) experienced Nupraptor's corruption of the Pillars; and again in ''Chapter 11:Ariel's Lament'', as Ariel bemoaned the fates of Nupraptor and herself to Raziel. *A bust which is possibly Nupraptor, is also present in the Force Gylph Shrine in ''Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver''; the sculpture (complete with 'sewn shut' eyes and bulbous head) was in close proximity to Nupraptor's Retreat in that game and after completing the puzzle the eyes shot a blast which presented the Force Glyph to Raziel - a Glyph spell whose 'Telekinetic Blast' mimicked, to a certain extent, the powers used by Nupraptor. See also Nupraptor the Mentalist at Dark Chronicle (by Marie Walter). Silicon Knights Blood Omen Character Page Nupraptor's Retreat Dialogue Page at Nosgothic Realm. A Traitor in the Circle Page at The Lost Worlds Nupraptor the Mentalist at Dark Chronicle (by Marie Walter). References }} Category:Blood Omen characters Category:Characters Category:Defiance comic unseen characters Category:Soul Reaver 2 unseen characters